U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0007506 have made efforts to design the several adsorbents to physically adsorb the sulfur compounds selectively from the various hydrocarbon fuels e.g. gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel and diesel fuel etc. These adsorbents showed the selectivity for other compounds e.g. aromatics and olefins etc. also and saturated at very low treated volume of the fuels. In the regeneration process, the adsorbed compounds were removed by solvent washing. The sulfur compounds were then recovered in concentrated forms by evaporation of the solvent. This concentrated sulfur containing stream was then treated in a small hydrotreater reactor and blended to the adsorbent treated product. The treating of this concentrated sulfur-containing stream will require severe operating conditions and higher consumption of hydrogen. This process may not be economically viable due to low selectivity, faster saturation, treating of concentrated sulfur containing streams and low recovery of the fuel streams.
U.S. Patent Publication No US2003/03255A1 discloses an adsorbent prepared by the conventional impregnation of a sorbent support comprising zinc oxide, expanded perlite, and alumina with a promoter metal such as nickel, cobalt.
U.S. Patent Publication No US2004/0063576A1 discloses a catalyst adsorbent comprised of nickel compound deposited on a silica carrier by using conventional precipitation process. Alumina and alkaline earth compounds are used as promoters
U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,343 discloses a sorbent composition comprising, a support system prepared by admixing zinc oxide with silica/alumina, and incorporating the support with reduced valence noble metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,683,024 discloses a sorbent composition, which contains a support component and a promoter component with the promoter component being present as a skin of the support. The above sorbent is prepared by a process of impregnating a support component with a promoter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,877 discloses an attrition resistant sorbent, prepared by the impregnation of a sorbent support comprising zinc oxide, expanded perlite, and alumina with a promoter such as nickel, nickel oxide or a precursor of nickel oxide followed by reduction of the valence of the promoter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,314 discloses particulate sorbent compositions comprising a mixture of zinc oxide, silica, alumina and substantially reduced valence cobalt, prepared by impregnation method, for the desulfurization of a feed stream of cracked-gasoline or diesel fuels
U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,170 discloses attrition resistant, sorbent compositions for the removal of elemental sulfur and sulfur compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide and organic sulfides, from cracked-gasoline and diesel fuels are prepared by the impregnation of a sorbent support comprising zinc oxide, expanded perlite, and alumina with a promoter such as nickel, nickel oxide or a precursor of nickel oxide followed by reduction of the valence of the promoter metal in the resulting promoter metal sorbent support composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,685 discloses a particulate sorbent compositions which are suitable for the removal of sulfur from streams of cracked-gasoline or diesel fuel are provided which have increased porosity, improved resistance to deactivation through the addition of a calcium compound selected from the group consisting of calcium sulfate, calcium silicate, calcium phosphate or calcium aluminate to the support system comprised of zinc oxide, silica and alumina having thereon a promoter wherein the promoter is metal, metal oxide or metal oxide precursor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,190 discloses a particulate sorbent compositions consisting essentially of zinc ferrite, nickel and an inorganic binder, wherein the zinc ferrite and nickel of reduced valence, are provided for the desulfurization of a feed stream of cracked-gasoline or diesel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,794 discloses a particulate sorbent compositions comprising zinc titanate support having thereon a substantially reduced valence promoter metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, manganese, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, silver, tin and vanadium or mixtures thereof provide a system for the desulfurization of a feed stream of cracked-gasolines or diesel fuels.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,533 discloses a sorbent system prepared by impregnating a particulate support which comprises zinc oxide and an inorganic or organic carrier with a bimetallic promoter formed from two or more metals selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese, copper, zinc molybdenum, tungsten, silver, and tin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,031 discloses a novel circulatable sorbent material suitable for use in a transport desulfurization system for removing sulfur from a fluid stream containing sulfur and the use thereof in such a transport desulfurization system. The transport desulfurization process utilizes a circulatable particulate material containing alumina, silica, zinc oxide and a metal oxide, which is contacted with a fluid stream and thereafter separated and reused with a portion being regenerated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,173 discloses a particulate sorbent compositions which are suitable for the removal of sulfur from streams of cracked-gasoline or diesel fuel are provided which have increased porosity, improved resistance to deactivation through the addition of a calcium compound selected from the group consisting of calcium sulfate, calcium silicate, calcium phosphate or calcium aluminate to the support system comprised of zinc oxide, silica and alumina having thereon a promoter wherein the promoter is metal, metal oxide or metal oxide precursor with the metal being selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, manganese, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, silver, tin and vanadium or mixtures thereof and wherein the valence of such promoter has been substantially reduced to 2 or less. Process for the preparation of such sorbent systems as well as the use of same for the desulfurization of cracked-gasolines and diesel fuels are also provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,766 discloses a particulate sorbent compositions comprising a mixture of zinc oxide, silica, alumina and a substantially reduced valence nickel are provided for the desulfurization of a feed stream of cracked-gasoline or diesel fuels in a desulfurization zone by a process which comprises the contacting of such feed streams in a desulfurization zone followed by separation of the resulting low sulfur-containing stream and sulfurized-sorbent and thereafter regenerating and activating the separated sorbent before recycle of same to the desulfurization zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,176 discloses a sorbent comprising a mixture of zinc oxide, silica, alumina and substantially reduced valence cobalt provided for the desulfurization of a feed stream of cracked-gasoline or diesel fuels.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,871 discloses a novel circulatable sorbent material suitable for use in a transport desulfurization system for removing sulfur from a fluid stream containing sulfur and the use thereof in such a transport desulfurization system. The transport desulfurization process utilizes a circulatable particulate material containing alumina, silica zinc oxide and a metal oxide, which is contacted with a fluid stream and thereafter separated and reused with a portion being regenerated.
The adsorbents reported in the prior art as above involves, the conventional impregnation approaches for loading the active metal components.
The surprising results of the present invention is by achieving enhanced adsorption capacity for the adsorbent composition used for removing most refractory sulfur compounds from refinery streams in a short duration of time and also consuming minimum quantity of hydrogen in the complete process.